MCCOY TYNER - PRELUDE AND SONATA

• McCoy Tyner: Prelude And Sonata
      (1995, cd, Europe, milestone)

Just look at that tracklist:

1. Prelude in E minor Op. 28, no. 4 (F. Chopin)
2. Loss of love (H. Mancini - B. Merrill)
3. Contemplation (McCoy Tyner)
4. For all we know (F. Coots - S. Lewis)
5. I will wait for you (M. Legrand - J. Demy - N. Gimbel)
6. Soul eyes (M. Waldron)
7. Smile (C. Chaplin)
8. Good morning heartache (I. Higginbotham - E. Drake - D. Fisher)
9. Piano sonata no. 8 in C minor (L. Van Beethoven)

"Prelude And Sonata" is a beautiful, lyrical modern jazz album.
It got released in 1995 but it still sounds fresh and crispy today.

McCoy Tyner on piano, Antonio Hart Bass on alto sax, Christian McBride on bass, and Marvin 'Smitty' Smith on drums, plus guest Joshua Redman on tenor sax on three of the tracks.

Here's the quintet's take on Henry Mancini's melancholic 'Loss Of Love' :

-- info & more: Danny Mathys

DAVE LIEBMAN - RETURN OF THE TENOR - STANDARDS

• Dave Liebman: Return Of The Tenor - Standards
      (1996, cd, USA, doubletime)

Dave Liebman on tenor sax, Vic Juris on guitar, Phil Markowitz on piano, Tony Marino on double bass, and Jamey Haddad on the drums.

The album features energetic takes on classic jazz standards without heavy rearrangements, but with lots of inventive improvisations.

Here's Dave Liebman with Vic Juris on the guitar!

-- info & more: Danny Mathys

CORIMA - CORIMA

• Corima: Corima
      (2007, cdr, --, private release)

After recently having enjoyed Corima's latest release ("Hunab Ku"), I was quite happy to give their first album a listening today.

At the start, Corima was a trio (keyboard, bass & drums), including vocals.
Nice. Very nice.

-- info & more: Danny Mathys

OCTOBER EQUUS

Today's power breakfast:

• October Equus: Isla Purgatorio
      (2013, cd)

• October Equus: Noches Blancas, Luces Rojas
      (2022, cd)

SOFT MACHINE - THIRTEEN

• Soft Machine: Thirteen
      (2026, cd, UK, dyad records)
      (2026, cd uhq cd, Japan, june dream / moonjune records)

Released on CD on John Etheridge's Dyad Records label but also on Ultra High Quality CD in Japan. The latter in collaboration with the MoonJune Records label, and even adding two bonus tracks to the album.

Featuring John Etheridge (Guitar), Theo Travis (Sax, Flute), Fred Thelonius Baker (Fretless Bass) and Asaf Sirkis (Drums and Percussion), plus special guests Daevid Allen (Glissando Guitar on track 13), Pete Whittaker (Organ on tracks 2 & 5), and Nick Utteridge (Gong on track 5).

And speaking of John Etheridge, you can catch him with the Zappatistas at the Moo-Ah festival next weekend.

https://www.festivalmoo-ah.com/

But back to "Thirteen".

Recommended listening !!

THE MESSTHETICS - DEFACE THE CURRENCY

• The Messthetics And James Brandon Lewis: Deface The Currency
      (2026, cd, --, impulse)

Vigorous modern jazz with beautiful melodies and superb improvisations.

If I read their discography correctly, "Deface The Currency" is The Messthetics' fourth release and their second with sax master Brandon Lewis. 

And check out that guitar tone. Wow !

• Anthony Pirog - guitar James
• Joe Lally - bass
• Brendan Canty - drums
  plus
• Brandon Lewis - sax

-- info & more: Danny Mathys

WIGWAM - LIVE IN DENMARK 1976

• Wigwam: Live In Denmark 1976
      (2026, cd, Finland, svart records)
      (2026, 2lp, Finland, svart records)

Svart Records is taking us back to 1976.
To a Wigwam in concert in Denmark, November 26, 1976 in Denmark.

• Jim Pembroke – Vocals
• Pekka Rechardt – Guitar
• Hessu Hietanen – Keyboards
• Måns Groundstroem – Bass
• Ronnie Österberg – Drums

Recorded for a radio broadcast, and the band is in fine shape, so this is a treat.

Earlier in their career, Wigwam performed Frank Zappa's 'Peaches En Regalia' in concert, as can be heard on the 2022 deluxe reissue.

Here's Wigwam during a 1976 studio session:

-- info & more: Danny Mathys

WARREN CUCCURULLO - THE RETURN OF THE ROSE VORTEX

• Warren Cuccurullo: Return Of The Rose Vortex
      (2026, download / streaming, --, digital music platforms)

After having released "Synthia" and "Synthia Vol.II" in December, Warren Cuccurullo is already back with "Return Of The Rose Vortex", a fine album that features Azar Lawrence (!!) on the saxophone.
Plus Tommy Mars !!

For a glimpse of Azar's career, take a look at:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azar_Lawrence

Warren on synth soundscapes with Tommy Mars and Azar adding beautiful lines and phrases.
This is great.

-- info & more: Harald Haering

VARIOUS ARTISTS - ON THE NINETIES TIP - HEAR AND NOW

• Various Artists: On The Nineties Tip - Hear And Now
      (1995, cd promo, USA, caroline records)

I learn something new every day.
Initially, Primus recorded ‘Hello Skinny / Constantinople’ (The Residents) for the "On The Nineties Tip - Hear And Now" sampler.
Later the same year, the track got added to their 'Wynona’s Big Brown Beaver' CD single.
This was the release that got their version introduced to a wider audience.

In 2002, 'Hello Skinny / Constantinople' got added as a bonus track to "Frizzle Fry", an album that was originally released in 1990.

CORIMA - HUNAB KU

• Corima: Hunab Ku
      (2026, cd, France, soleil zeuhl)

Los Angeles-based band Corima has just released their fourth album.
Rock, fusion, Zeuhl.
LOVE IT !!

It's a bit of a particular story as the band released their first album / demo in 2007 and their previous one in 2016, along with some shifts in the band's line-up.
They only released four albums during their 20-year career !!

That being said, this is an amazing record.
Leaning heavy on the polyrhythms, complex and full of energy.

Out on CD on the French Soleil Zeuhl record label, and also available as a digital download from Bandcamp.

-- info & more: Danny Mathys